Victorian House

On a trip to San Francisco last year, I was completely overwhelmed by the beautiful scenery and architecture that the city has to offer. The city was filled with Spanish style villas, Mediterranean houses, modern houses. But the most prominent architectural style in San Francisco is that of Victorian houses. Here are a couple of picture that we took of the houses that inspired me to do my next AutoCAD project.

 

 

The house on the left is located in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, located a couple of blocks south from the hippie-friendly Haight Street. The house on the right is located in Pacific Heights, one of the most affluent neighborhoods in San Francisco. Taking a walk in this city is like taking a walk in an architecture museum, with every house showing different details and designs. What I love the most about these houses is that they are the complete opposite of the modern house designs these days that concentrate on being minimalistic and simple. Victorian houses are filled with moldings, patterns, colors, and many other things that make each home unique. Drawing these kinds of houses on AutoCAD is not the easiest task, as there are many details to pay attention to. Here is the front view of a Victorian house I designed on AutoCAD, inspired by the ones in San Francisco.

 





Modern/traditional Design

While browsing for some inspiration for my next drafting project, I came across a picture of this house in Perth, Australia. 

It is obviously a house with a modern style. However, if you look closely at some of the elements of this house, there are hints of traditional design integrated to it. The hipped roof makes it reminiscent of a traditional house. The use of wood in garage and entrance doors also give the house some kind of warmth that modern homes don't usually show. The overall design of this house is kind of a mix between a modern contemporary house with a traditional balinese villa. The look of this home inspired me to draw using AutoCAD what I think the interior plan would look like.

Contemporary Hideaway

The concept of this house is inspired by my trip to Vancouver, BC. I visited the West Point Grey neighborhood, where beautiful modern houses were built on a hill adjacent to the ocean and the beach. These houses were mostly square and rectangular-shaped, with big windows and surrounded by bushy lush trees. It was a great mix of modern design and nature, something for which I think Vancouver is widely known for. I also appreciate the idea that one can live in such a beautiful natural setting with high level of privacy in the middle of a bustling city.

The layout of a house is the single most important aesthetic element to pay attention to when designing a house. Flooring and wall colors, you can change easily. But changing the layout and knocking down walls can be very costly. I wanted to create an open space without being too bland or boring. I find that when the kitchen, living room, and dining room are all placed in one big open room, it can get very bland and boring. So I decided to give the main living area an L shape, which would provide the living room a little separation from the kitchen and dining room.

The big room that contains the kitchen and dining room is designed to have two-story ceilings and windows. The windows on the left side of the room are also designed to function as sliding doors, which can be opened during the summer time, providing an option to bring the exterior world in. Of course, this house is designed to be built in a place like West Point Grey, Vancouver, where the views and surrounding nature are stunning.